“It’s better not to stay up so late,” Liu Anran said. Drying his hair and dressed in a set of thin black pajamas, he walked over to the bedside and spoke to Liu Xie.
Wrapped in a quilt with only her head peeking out, the golden-maned lioness kept her back turned to him, refusing to even look his way. The sound of short videos playing on her phone filled the room.
Liu Xie had followed him home today, but she didn’t seem particularly interested in acknowledging him.
“What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?” Liu Anran leaned in, moving closer to her side.
Then, the Liu Xie on the bed began wriggling like a caterpillar inside her quilt, seemingly trying to break free from Liu Anran’s reach. However, she was right at the edge of the mattress.
Liu Anran reached out and grabbed Liu Xie’s waist through the fabric of the quilt, pulling her back toward the center of the bed just before she could fall off. Despite being caught, Liu Xie let go of her phone and turned her head away, still refusing to look at him.
Liu Anran was not the type of person to allow silence to slowly tear a relationship apart. He preferred more concrete actions.
He braced his hands on either side of Liu Xie’s head, pressing them into the pillow. He hovered directly over her as she lay there with her face turned away, staring intently at his princess.
It wasn’t exactly pinning her down, as he was careful to leave enough space between them so the conversation wouldn’t feel suffocating. Even so, the distance was close enough for Liu Xie.
Liu Anran could see the shock in her eyes, yet she seemed determined to stick to her guns, keeping her head turned away to avoid his gaze. Still, she couldn’t help but steal a few glances at him every now and then.
Liu Anran was amused by her cuteness.
“If I’m the one who made you unhappy, it would be better if you just said it. After all, we’re going to be spending a very, very long time together in the future.” Liu Anran lowered his body slightly, his face nearly touching hers.
“You…” As if a keyword had been triggered, Liu Xie turned her head to face him. “You made me lose face today.”
Liu Anran raised an eyebrow at her statement.
“What’s wrong? Doesn’t having someone pursue you show how charming you are?” He reached out, smoothing the messy strands of hair on her forehead. “Or are you saying that someone like me being your suitor is enough to embarrass you?”
“Are you really in such a rush to bind us together?” Liu Xie asked, finally revealing a hint of her true thoughts. “Do you and I… really have to…”
Liu Anran’s expression returned to the gentle warmth he reserved only for her.
He never felt like she was being unreasonable. Liu Xie wasn’t that kind of person; if she was acting this way, it meant it was something worth taking seriously.
For example, right now, she lacked a sense of security.
Perhaps it was Liu Anran’s speech on the club recruitment stage—which essentially tied the two of them together—that had forced her to start thinking. She was thinking about the relationship between them.
And she was currently very afraid.
She knew his feelings for her. She knew his current attitude wasn’t something she could just play off with a joke; he was practically forcing her to take a stand.
The reason she was hesitating was simple. As his sister, she was afraid.
She feared that if she didn’t feel the same way, Liu Anran would be devastated. And if she did, she couldn’t be sure how long this burning passion of his would last.
If she truly fell for him and his passion eventually cooled, what would she do then?
Liu Xie had never been this afraid before. She felt as though she couldn’t see the future for them. The last time she had felt this kind of dread was during that one scheme of his. Even though he had called her just a day later to say he couldn’t keep up the ruse anymore, she still felt incredibly insecure.
It resulted in her not knowing how to face him now. Perhaps agreeing would lead to a happier life together, but it could also lead to a pain so deep they could never go back to how they were now.
She didn’t dare to gamble.
“Yes, I must be with you. In this life, I have to be with you.”
Liu Anran kept his left hand on the pillow while his right hand gently cupped Liu Xie’s cheek. “If you feel like this is a difficult decision to make, feel free to think about it for a while longer. Strip away all the other factors and only consider your own heart. Answer me based on how you truly feel.”
“How I feel…” Liu Xie looked up, meeting Liu Anran’s shimmering eyes.
He was waiting for her answer. But she truly couldn’t give one.
“I don’t know…”
“I told you, don’t be in a rush to give me an answer. I can wait. I can wait for you for a lifetime.” Liu Anran slowly leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers.
The more he spoke like this, the tighter Liu Xie’s brow furrowed.
“If you really can’t figure it out, how about listening to my answer today?” Liu Anran whispered. “Listen to the exclusivity in my heart.”
Liu Xie froze, nodding slightly. Her golden hair rubbed against the soft pillow.
“In my eyes, you are irreplaceable. Simply because you were the one who picked me up and brought me home, I will never hurt you or treat you poorly in this life. It doesn’t matter how destitute I become; the best things I have will always be yours.”
“And then, to ensure that a child you picked up wouldn’t be marginalized, you stepped away from all the family businesses you were supposed to learn and manage, choosing to live like a loafer instead.”
Liu Xie looked at him in shock. “You… you knew about that?”
“How could you hide anything from me?” Liu Anran chuckled softly. “That’s why I felt I didn’t deserve it. I would rather use verbal and behavioral provocations to make you take back the treatment that belongs to you than just accept a gift like that from you.”
Liu Xie’s expression soured. Liu Anran had seen through her intentions, but she hadn’t seen through his. Until a few months ago, she had simply thought her younger brother had a bad personality and only acted out at home.
He held up two fingers. “Twice. These are two great favors I can never repay in this lifetime. How do you think I should pay you back?”
“I can’t accept you belonging to anyone who might hurt you in the future, nor can I accept leaving after having enjoyed your kindness. That would make me no different from an ungrateful wolf.”
“So, I’ve decided to pay you back with my entire self. I will be bound to you for the rest of my life.”
“Whether your answer is yes or no, I will stay like this.”
Liu Xie looked at Liu Anran, unable to tell for a moment if the light source was the ceiling lamp or the young man’s eyes.
“Then… if I agree… will you leave me later?”
“So you’re going to agree?” A smile reached Liu Anran’s eyes. “Since you’re so worried, how about we have a child to tie me down?”
He poked her stomach through the quilt and her clothes.
In a sudden reflex, Liu Xie kicked him right off the bed.
“If I agree, don’t tell them about us.”
“Of course, dear.”
“You aren’t allowed to call me that! If you call me that, won’t they find out?!”
Liu Xie shouted, throwing the nearby pillow at him. “Just call me what you usually call me.”
“Understood, dear.” Liu Anran turned his head and easily dodged the flying pillow. —
“You should call me big sister.”
“Wife.”